Goodbye Gulf of Mexico: Donald Trump wants to rename the body of water Gulf of America

President-elect Donald Trump has announced that tarrifs will be imposed on imported goods from Mexico on Day 1 of his administration, with the proposed tax rate to hit consumers and business floated standing at 25 percent.

Now with less than a month until inauguration day, the president-elect is taking another jab at the country’s southern neighbor, proposing a switch in the name from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Does the name change really matter?

Unlike the other economic and military threats the president-elect has made, the change of the name is more asthetic than anything.

The Mexican government and public are likely to take offense at the symbolic change by Donald Trump, but such a name change would not have a significant impact on the daily lives of Mexican citizens. The proposal appears to be another flex of power by the incoming administration. During comments made on Tuesday by the president-elect he noted that the name would cover “a lot of territory,” perhaps hoping that other “American” countries would support such a change.

However, the change would not affect international laws governing maritime boundaries or the distribution of ocean territory under the jurisdiction of either country. Mexico’s government could choose to ignore the move, as adopting the new name would be entirely voluntary unless enforced through a binding international initiative, such as one passed by the United Nations Security Council.

The U.S., under its new UN Ambassador, former New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, could attempt to rally support among member states for the name change. However, such an effort would likely waste political capital at a time when U.S. hegemonic influence depends heavily on the backing of European allies. These governments are unlikely to see their interests aligned with supporting such a symbolic and divisive gesture.

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